महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-26, verse-20

महागङ्गामुपस्पृश्य कृत्तिकाङ्गारके तथा ।
पक्षमेकं निराहारः स्वर्गमाप्नोति निर्मलः ॥२०॥

20. mahāgaṅgāmupaspṛśya kṛttikāṅgārake tathā ,
pakṣamekaṁ nirāhāraḥ svargamāpnoti nirmalaḥ.

20. mahāgaṅgām upaspr̥śya kr̥ttikāṅgārake tathā
pakṣam ekam nirāhāraḥ svargam āpnoti nirmalaḥ

20. [saḥ] nirmalaḥ mahāgaṅgām upaspr̥śya tathā
kr̥ttikāṅgārake ekam pakṣam nirāhāraḥ svargam āpnoti

20. A pure person who bathes in the Mahāgaṅgā (river) and also at Kr̥ttikāṅgāraka, and fasts for one fortnight, attains heaven.

Words meanings summery:

• महागङ्गाम् (mahāgaṅgām) - the sacred river Mahāgaṅgā (the great Gaṅgā, the Mahāgaṅgā)

• उपस्प्र्̥श्य (upaspr̥śya) - having performed sacred ablutions (having touched, having bathed, having performed ablution)

• क्र्̥त्तिकाङ्गारके (kr̥ttikāṅgārake) - at the sacred pilgrimage site known as Kr̥ttikāṅgāraka (at Kr̥ttikāṅgāraka (a sacred place))

• तथा (tathā) - and also (so, thus, and, also, similarly)

• पक्षम् (pakṣam) - a fortnight (a period of two weeks) (fortnight, wing, side, party)

• एकम् (ekam) - one (single fortnight) (one, a single)

• निराहारः (nirāhāraḥ) - one who abstains from food, observing a fast (without food, fasting, abstaining from food)

• स्वर्गम् (svargam) - the realm of heaven (heaven, celestial abode)

• आप्नोति (āpnoti) - attains, achieves (obtains, reaches, attains)

• निर्मलः (nirmalaḥ) - a pure (person), free from spiritual impurities (pure, spotless, clean, unblemished)

Words meanings and morphology

महागङ्गाम् (mahāgaṅgām) - the sacred river Mahāgaṅgā (the great Gaṅgā, the Mahāgaṅgā)

(proper noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of mahāgaṅgā

mahāgaṅgā - the great Gaṅgā, a name for the Gaṅgā river

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+gaṅgā)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• gaṅgā – the Ganges river
  proper noun (feminine)

Note: The 'ṁ' indicates anusvāra, representing the accusative singular feminine ending.

उपस्प्र्̥श्य (upaspr̥śya) - having performed sacred ablutions (having touched, having bathed, having performed ablution)

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

Derived from the root 'spr̥ś' (to touch, cleanse) with the prefix 'upa-'.

Prefix: upa

Root: spr̥ś (class 6)

क्र्̥त्तिकाङ्गारके (kr̥ttikāṅgārake) - at the sacred pilgrimage site known as Kr̥ttikāṅgāraka (at Kr̥ttikāṅgāraka (a sacred place))

(proper noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of kr̥ttikāṅgāraka

kr̥ttikāṅgāraka - Kr̥ttikā-Aṅgāraka (a sacred place name, possibly related to the Kr̥ttikā constellation and Aṅgāraka/Mars)

Compound type : tatpurusha (kr̥ttikā+aṅgāraka)

• kr̥ttikā – the Pleiades (a lunar mansion), a proper name
  proper noun (feminine)
• aṅgāraka – Mars (the planet), burning coal, charcoal
  noun (masculine)

Note: The name of a sacred place, often a tīrtha (pilgrimage site).

तथा (tathā) - and also (so, thus, and, also, similarly)

(indeclinable)

पक्षम् (pakṣam) - a fortnight (a period of two weeks) (fortnight, wing, side, party)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of pakṣa

pakṣa - side, wing, fortnight, party, aspect

Note: Used here to denote duration ('for a fortnight').

एकम् (ekam) - one (single fortnight) (one, a single)

(numeral)

Note: Adjective modifying 'pakṣam'.

निराहारः (nirāhāraḥ) - one who abstains from food, observing a fast (without food, fasting, abstaining from food)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nirāhāra

nirāhāra - without food, fasting, abstaining from food

Formed from 'nis-' (without) and 'āhāra' (food).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (nis+āhāra)

• nis – without, out, away
  prefix
• āhāra – food, sustenance, diet
  noun (masculine)

Note: Describes the implied subject.

स्वर्गम् (svargam) - the realm of heaven (heaven, celestial abode)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of svarga

svarga - heaven, celestial world, paradise

Note: The 'ṁ' indicates anusvāra, representing the accusative singular masculine ending.

आप्नोति (āpnoti) - attains, achieves (obtains, reaches, attains)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of āp

present tense

Root 'āp' (to obtain), 3rd person singular, present tense, active voice.

Prefix: ā

Root: āp (class 5)

निर्मलः (nirmalaḥ) - a pure (person), free from spiritual impurities (pure, spotless, clean, unblemished)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nirmala

nirmala - pure, spotless, clean, free from defilement

Formed from 'nis-' (without) and 'mala' (impurity).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (nis+mala)

• nis – without, out, away
  prefix
• mala – dirt, impurity, defilement
  noun (neuter)

Note: Adjective describing the implied subject (a person).